There’s a reason why so many well-informed, well-connected business people—attorneys, salesmen and women, lobbyists, politicians, educators, and others—quietly take acting classes. They know that the most powerful form of influencing others is through confident storytelling. You can be an expert in your field—have a full command of details, stats, process, and the like—but without the ability to sell your point of view you’re not likely to successfully engage and motivate your audience.

It was 40 years ago when I was an acting student in New York that I first discovered that non-actors were benefiting from some of the same education that I was receiving. Some of my instructors taught business people—they referred to them as the civilians—on weekends, at conferences during the summer months, or coached them evenings.

To this day, the most important education that I’ve ever received came from my years in theatre school. That education has served me well in my post-acting, business career for decades. It’s also served me well personally; storytelling skills can be money in your pocket. As for confidence, that goes without saying.

Over the past couple of years, I’ve taken a couple of MasterClass courses and the content was exceptional. And, I recommend the platform. Last week I was alerted to an especially interesting offering coming in early 2018.

Helen Mirren says that she’s never formally studied acting and I believe that makes her upcoming Master Class ideal for actors and civilians alike. Take a look at the promo and take note of what she has to say about simply walking.